Bob FM

BOB FM is the on-air brand of a number of FM radio stations in the United States and formerly in Canada. The BOB FM format mostly concentrates on album rock, alternative rock and pop hits from the 1980s and 90s, especially those popular during the early days of MTV when music videos made up most of MTV's schedule. But BOB FM also features a smattering of oldies from the 1970s or earlier and classic hits from the 1990s or later.

Once or twice an hour, an unexpected song will get played, sometimes a dance hit or novelty song. BOB FM stations are quite similar to those using the moniker Jack FM. On many BOB FM and JACK FM stations, disc jockeys are not used or are only heard in morning drive time. Instead of a live DJ, a prerecorded voice will make sarcastic or ironic quips between songs.

BOB FM stations in Canada were all owned by Bell Media. Those in the United States are owned by a variety of companies. Bob FM stations are officially classified as variety hits or adult hits by radio research companies.

Origins

It was originally named for the "Best of the Best", and subsequently associated with an everyday character named "Bob." It proved very successful in its first implementation on Winnipeg, Manitoba's CFWM. It inspired Rogers Communications to license the JACK FM format at many of its stations, Corus Entertainment's subsequent Joe FM and Dave FM brands, and comparable moves at other stations. Currently a syndicated version of the format is offered by Envision Radio Networks. As with Jack FM, Bob FM stations have playlists of over 1000 songs as opposed to most other commercial stations which play about 500 songs or less.

The format was largely conceived and created by Howard Kroeger, a former programming executive at CHUM Group Radio, after attending a friend's 40th birthday party in 2000. He took the "Bob" moniker from a country music station (then WBOB, today KFXN-FM) that had broadcast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market of Minnesota to the south several years earlier.

Slogans

Many BOB FM stations use the catch phrase "We Play Anything!" or "We Play Everything!" Most stations market themselves with the slogan "Turn your knob to BOB!" This was parodied in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 skit in which TV's Frank creates his own radio station and exhorts viewers to "Turn your crank to Frank", satirizing commercials for BOB 100 FM that were playing in the Minneapolis area at the time.^{[citation needed]}

Many Bob-FM stations are imaged by Digital Sound & Video, Inc, located in Daytona Beach, Florida and voiced by Sean Caldwell.

Country Music

At least two non variety-hits Bob FM outlets exist, WRBT in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and KLCI in Minneapolis-St. Paul, both of which run a country music format. Kroeger created a similar format and brand for country stations, using Hank FM (named for Country and Western legend Hank Williams) and DUKE FM (named for actor John Wayne).

HANK FM and DUKE FM can currently be heard in over twenty U.S. markets. The majority of these HANK FM and DUKE FM branded stations use the positioning statement of "Playing the Legends of Country" and are also distributed by Envision Radio Networks.

Stations Calling Themselves "BOB FM"

CHUM Limited's CKLY in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, adopted the format on August 21, 2005, while WLFF in Lafayette, Indiana, jettisoned its country format to introduce Bob to its listeners on December 6, 2007.

The newest Bob FM station in the United States is WCVS-FM in Springfield, Illinois, replacing its classic rock format.

The newest Bob FM station in Canada was CKX-FM in Brandon, Manitoba, replacing its mainstream rock format.

The first international (Non American or Canadian) Bob FM launched in early 2016 in George Town, Grand Cayman in The Cayman Islands. 94.9 BOB FM, Grand Cayman ZFBB-FM of Hurley's Media Ltd.

On March 18, 2021, the remaining Bob FM stations in Canada were re-branded as Bounce Radio.^[1]

Bob FM stations in Canada

Location	Call sign	Frequency	Notes/websites
Brockville, Ontario	CJPT	103.7 FM	Re-branded as Bounce 103.7
Kawartha Lakes, Ontario	CKLY	91.9 FM	Re-branded as Bounce 91.9
Winnipeg, Manitoba	CFWM	99.9 FM	Re-branded as Bounce 99.9
Brandon, Manitoba	CKX	96.1 FM	Re-branded as Bounce 96.1

Bob FM stations in the United States

Location	Call sign	Frequency	Since	Format	website
Anchorage, Alaska	KBBO-FM	92.1 FM		Variety hits	https://921bob.com
Asbury, Missouri	KWXD	103.5 FM	June 1, 2023	Variety hits
Augusta, Georgia	WDRR	93.9 FM	April 2010	Classic hits	https://ilovebobfm.com
Austin, Texas	KBPA	103.5 FM	September 2004	Adult hits	http://www.1035bobfm.com
Biloxi, Mississippi	WANG	1490 AM	October 10th 2021	Adult hits	http://bob1063fm.com
Biloxi, Mississippi	WTNI	1640 AM	October 10th, 2021	Adult hits
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois	WBBE	97.9 FM	2005	Adult hits	https://nowbn.com/bob979/
Bluffton, South Carolina	WUBB	106.9 FM	February 21st 2011	Country	https://bob1069.com
Boise, Idaho	KSRV-FM	96.1 FM	March 30th 2007	Adult hits	https://961bobfm.com
Cambria, California	KCJZ	105.3 FM	June 2014	Variety hits	https://bobfm1053.com
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California	KKHK	95.5 FM	December 3rd 2010	Alternative	https://www.955bobfm.com
Chico, California	KBQB	92.7 FM	2006	Adult Hits	https://927bobfm.com
Edwards, California	KGBB	103.9 FM	2006	Adult Hits	https://www.bobfm1039.com
Emporia, Kansas	KANS	96.1 FM	July 1st, 2023	Adult Hits
Erie, Pennsylvania	WXBB	94.7 FM	January 5th 2007	Adult Hits	https://947bobfm.iheart.com
Estero, Florida	WJGO	102.9 FM	March 16th 2007	Adult hits	https://www.1029bobfm.com
Eugene, Oregon	KEUG	105.5 FM	2004	Adult Hits	https://www.1055bobfm.com
Fargo, North Dakota	KBVB	95.1 FM	March 12th 2007	Country	https://www.bob95fm.com
Faribault, Minnesota	KBGY	107.5 FM	2015	Classic country
Fayetteville, North Carolina	WFLB	96.5 FM	March 14th 2011	Classic hits	https://965bobfm.com
Forest Lake, Minnesota	WLKX-FM	95.9 FM	February 13th, 2022	Classic country
Hampton Roads-Norfolk, Virginia	WNOB	93.7 FM	September 23rd, 2006	Adult hits	http://www.937bobfm.com/
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania	WRBT	94.9 FM		Country	https://bob949.iheart.com/
Healdsburg, California	KNOB	96.7 FM	October 4th, 2018	Variety hits	https://www.967bob.fm/
Holliday, Texas	KWFB	100.9 FM	January 1st, 2024	Adult Hits
Lafayette, Indiana	WBPE	95.3 FM	December 6th, 2007	Adult hits	http://www.wbpefm.com/
Minneapolis, Minnesota	KLCI	106.1 FM		Classic country	http://www.mybobcountry.com/
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina	WYNA	104.9 FM		Variety hits	http://1049bobfm.iheart.com/
Panama City Beach, Florida	WASJ	105.1 FM	May 2008	Adult hits
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	WRRK	96.9 FM	November 1st, 2005	Variety hits	https://www.bobfm969.com/
Redding, California	KESR	107.1 FM	March 12th, 2010	Adult hits	http://www.1071bobfm.com/
Russellville, Arkansas	KCAB	980 AM		Adult hits
Spokane, Washington	KBBD	103.9 FM		Adult hits	http://www.1039bobfm.com/
Springfield, Illinois	WCVS-FM	96.7 FM	October 2nd, 2017	Adult hits	https://neuhoffmediaspringfield.com/bob-fm/
St. Cloud, Minnesota	WQPM	1300 AM	February 13th, 2022	Classic country
St. Cloud, Minnesota	KDDG	105.5 FM		Classic country
Sterling, Colorado	KSRX	97.5 FM		Variety hits	http://www.bobplaysanything.com/
Traverse City, Michigan	WZTC	104.5 FM		Adult hits	http://www.1045bobfm.com/
Twin Falls, Idaho	KIKX	104.7 FM	September 7th, 2009	Adult hits	http://1047bobfm.com/
Washington-Greenville, North Carolina	WERO	93.3 FM	1999	Contemporary hit radio	http://www.bob933.com/
Wichita, Kansas	KBOB-FM	97.1 FM	February 14th, 2008	Adult hits
Winfield, Kansas	KSOK-FM	95.9 FM	January 2022	Variety hits

The first BOB FM outside of The U.S. or Canada launched in early 2016, broadcasting from George Town, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. '94.9 BOB FM Grand Cayman' - ZFBB FM ( http://www.BobFm.Ky ) .